Chapter 15: Ad Consensum
Severus was working in Lily's lab with Narcissa. The Alliance's stock of several potions was almost depleted since the events of the New Year's eve catastrophe. It had been a tiring few days, but they now had 50 full-size blood replenishing potions, 100 pepper-ups, and 50 grand pepper-ups. Additionally, the elves had helped them produce 25 vials of calming draught, 20 vials of veritaserum, 10 vials of antidote to common poisons, and 5 vials of antidote to uncommon poisons. The children insisted on helping, and under Narcissa's strict supervision and guidance, they managed to fill 5 capsules containing Baruffio's Brain Elixir and 5 full-size jars of dreamless potion. Narcissa had left with the children, and Severus was making sure he had all the quantities right. They were supposed to bill Lord Potter for the lot.
A delicate hand rested on his shoulder, and he jumped around with his wand ready.
"Easy there, tiger," Emma smiled. "It's just us."
"Emma!" Severus quickly removed his lab coat and embraced the woman as tight as he could while being mindful of her injury. He had no idea she had been released.
"Sev! It's so good to see you," she squeezed him back with a grimace.
"And you! I didn't know you were out already," he noticed Dan standing in the store section of the lab.
"Under protest by the doctors and my husband. Sev, come with me. We want you to meet our son properly," Emma smiled and pulled him out of the lab.
"Daniel, I'm glad to see you," Severus couldn't help but look at the bundle wrapped in a white blanket.
"So am I. Meet our son Gabriel Ajax Dagworth-Granger," Daniel motioned for Severus to hold the baby.
Severus held the boy as if it was the most precious thing he had ever held. It was a beautiful baby. His hair was a bit frizzy, curly, and brown. Gabriel opened his eyes lazily and wrapped his fingers around Severus' thumb. The boy's eyes were all Emma. His smile was all Daniel's as he gurgled. Severus cooed for the first time in years. "Hello, Gabriel…"
"Gabriel, this is Severus Snape… Yes, your godfather," Emma cooed to the baby, who seemed to smile wider at this.
The Potion Master almost dropped the baby in shock. Daniel seemed to have foreseen this because he had placed his arms under Severus' just in case.
"What?! G-Godfather? Me?" Snape's eyes filled with tears. He looked at the doctors questioningly, "Really?"
Emma's heart swelled. This was the exact reaction she had hoped for. "Absolutely!"
"We had hoped to tell you and the godmother together, but Emma insisted," Daniel clapped Severus' back.
"Who's the godmother?"
"Narcissa, of course," Daniel winked.
"Oh! She will be thrilled!" Severus kissed the boy's forehead. "We will protect you always, little Gabriel."
"You and Cissa have been like siblings to me. Gabriel will be very lucky to have you."
"The religious ceremony will take place in the coming weeks. I know your father had insisted you were baptized, which is technically a requirement. Cissa isn't, I know. But I spoke to Father Martin, and he sent a letter to His Holiness who agreed to make an exception considering our particular circumstances. The Pope says that what matters most is that the godparents will look out for the child and protect him. If we were to pass,"
"Emma, don't-" Severus interrupted her.
"Sev, we will be going to war. Nothing is certain. As I was saying, if we were to die, we would be happy to know that Gabriel will have you to guide him, and I know that while you are not believers yourselves, you would respect our decision to raise him within the Catholic faith," Emma squeezed Severus' arm.
"We are not as strong in our faith as we once were. Life has been testing it constantly. And yet, we cannot imagine Gabriel not having the fundamental belief that there is a higher power, that there is good and evil, that praying is important, that charity to those in need is an absolute must. He needs to know that family is everything," Daniel said all this with his voice cracking a bit.
"I am both honored and humbled by this. While I don't think I am worthy of this distinction, I will endeavor to become worthier every day. I hope that you will survive the war. But if you don't, you can rest in peace knowing I will always look out for him and that I will make sure he is brought up in a Catholic manner."
"Thank you, Severus. Now, where is Cissa?"
"The children were here helping us make some potions. She just took them to the Dugard's home. Since they cannot help with the clean-up of dangerous ingredients, they were just watching from afar and got bored."
"Let's go there, then. We will need one of the Dugard's elves to look after Gabriel. That meeting will be… intense. I don't want my baby to start crying and upset the goblins or anyone else really," Emma took the baby from Severus.
"Indeed."
Narcissa was looking for a book in the Dugard library when her husband came in with the Grangers.
"Cissa! Come meet our baby boy!"
The witch jumped off the ladder. She had been wanting to meet the boy for a while. He was beautiful, with incredible warm eyes and very curly lashes. His skin was like porcelain.
"Oh, he's just precious… Hi Gabriel," she cooed.
"Here, hold him," Daniel passed her the baby.
"Aren't you the most beautiful wizard? Yes, you are. Of course, you are," she cooed, caressing the boy's hair as he gurgled. Severus' heart constricted. How he wished they had another child.
"We are glad you think so… since he's your godson and all," Daniel smiled.
"Really?!" Narcissa squealed. "Me? Godmother?"
"Of course, sister. I mean… it would be a little rude for it not to be you… Since Sev is godfather and all," Emma smirked.
Narcissa rearranged the baby in her arms, and it snuggled close to her neck. "Sev! Oh, I am so honored! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she kissed and squeezed Emma and did the same to Daniel.
Few witches and wizards had ever been honored with access to King Nagkrat's private meeting chamber throughout history. It was beautifully ornate with ancient gold artifacts and comfortable, sturdy furniture. A triangular table in the center of the room looked like it was centuries old, but it was sturdy and made of beautiful oak wood. Only other royals and a couple of Prime Ministers had ever been inside the chamber. Today was a different day. The current Minister for Magic was invited for the first time in recorded history on the condition that he would only observe and not comment. He had no vote, no power within Gringotts. He was merely a formality.
Madame Bones was invited officially as Head of the DMLE and as Head of a family that was an ally to the goblin nation. Also present, on the human side, were Lord and Lady Potter, Mr. and Mrs. Potter in their portrait form, Lord and Lady Dagworth Granger, Lord Black and Lord Lupin-Black, Lady Greengrass, Lady Longbottom, Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom, Lord and Lady Prince, Headmistress McGonagall, Mr. and Mrs. Tonks, Father Martin Shaw and Mr. Lovegood.
On the goblin side, King Nagkrat and his much-improved Queen Gankra. Seven advisors from international branches were present. On the last side, others present were Firenze, leader of the Centaur communities in England accompanied by his mate Tilazu. Merchieftainess Murcus had attended under protest and was fuming in a giant fishbowl with a bored mermaid. Neesy had found the oldest elf in England, Dryadalis, and she convinced him to participate. The shriveled elf agreed under the condition that Neesy was also there to interpret for him to and from their native tongue. He seemed extremely apprehensive.
"Welcome, wizards, witches, muggles, centaurs, merpeople, elves," King Nagkrat stated, bowing at all of them.
Everyone stood and bowed to the king and queen. The Merpeople bent over underwater. Queen Gankra motioned for them to sit down.
"I have summoned you here-"
"Excuse me. You do not summon us. We come because we choose to do so. We are not at your beck and call, King Nagkrat," the Minister for Magic interrupted in his usual arrogant tone.
"Minister, we have an agreement. You are not to speak another word," Nagkrat waved his hand, and the Minister could no longer make a sound. The politician narrowed his eyes in anger. But at Lord Potter's furious look, he decided to play nice. It had taken quite some time and abject begging to put this together.
"Your Majesty, please continue," Charlus smiled.
"What occurred at Potter Manor cannot be allowed to happen again anywhere else. The only reason we had no casualties was that we were as prepared as we could have been. Those two terrorists want to enslave us all. War is around the corner, and the best thing we can do for each of our peoples is to join forces. Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore are too powerful for any of us to ever succeed in attempts to bring them down if we do so separately," the king said all this with a resolute tone. That tone irked the creatures. Severus looked at their quickly angering expressions. This is going to be a long meeting, he thought. Nagkrat carried on, "The Goblin Nation wants to know if we can count on you and your people to face this war that will undoubtedly be the darkest time in our history as Magical England."
"You can count on The Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, King Nagkrat," Lady Potter said with conviction. "We don't want anyone else to go through what we have gone through."
Lord Black added, "The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black will stand with your majesties, and if I may be so bold, I think that all members of our alliance will as well, right?"
"Absolutely," Lady Longbottom nodded with confidence, as did her son and daughter-in-law.
"House of Dagworth-Granger will be proud to stand with you," Daniel said in a solemn tone.
"The Goblin Nation can count on House of Greengrass, your Highness," Ianthe nodded with grace towards the king and his queen.
"House of Prince will, of course, stand with all of you," Severus looked around the table, making sure to look at all the leaders of the creatures. He had noticed that their irritation was growing.
Dryadalis touched Neesy and began whispering in her ear at a rapid pace. She raised her hand and interpreted, "Elven communities want to know what… Sorry," she looked at the king apologetically. But she was there as an interpreter, and she would carry the message as it was. The king waved off her concern, so she carried on, "We want to know what the bloody hell else do wand carriers want to take from us?"
An extremely awkward silence followed this question. All wizards and witches blushed and looked down. Their embarrassment was that of to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of people who abused those at a disadvantage. The Grangers looked on the verge of saying 'I told you so' to everyone in the room. Lily Potter, whose portrait was facing away from the elves, covered her face with her hands and sighed with exasperation. She had not passed that law because a madman murdered her. But now, she would do whatever she needed to do to pass it from beyond the grave. If that meant butchering elves' ancient language of which she had a very rudimentary knowledge, she would. She just hoped it wouldn't damage the painting she currently resided within.
Dryadalis kept whispering, and so Neesy continued with a growing blush. "You took our freedom, our pride, our ability to do magic freely, our ability to hold a wand. Our race has been enslaved for centuries, and no one ever tried to help us. Why should we help you? You push-No, you have stomped on us for ages, and now when it is convenient, you decide we are no longer invisible? Why do you want us? As cannon fodder, while you and your heirs stay in your mansions and fortresses all safe?!"
Dryadalis's face contorted in anger, but he was also resigned and tired.
Lily cleared her throat. "If someone could turn the portrait so I can face the most stubborn elf I have ever met, that would be great."
Dryadalis's face was one of complete surprise when his old eyes focused on the painting that was levitated to be across from him. "Mistress?"
What Lily said next wasn't understood by anyone except for the elves. Dryadalis replied rapidly, and they argued for a good minute in elven until Dryadalis stopped talking. He stretched his thin and frail arm to touch his finger to Lily's. Both the woman and elf glowed gold for a minute, and he nodded at her.
"I have reminded Dryadalis of my many attempts at improving the conditions of magical creatures, and he is willing to hear us out."
"Ahem," Murcus said with difficulty from his fishbowl. Merfolk's vocal cords were not meant to be used on the surface. "I see no reason to help those who left merfolk out of the Fountain of Magical Brethren. We are not your brothers and sisters. You didn't even consider equals to Centaurs or to Elves. Not enough to include us in the fountain. Wizardkind has erased us from history books, and we were even denied the right to be represented in symbols for interspecies relations. However skewed those relationships were depicting wand carriers as gods while the rest of us looked up in awe, at least Centaurs and Elves were considered worthy of that."
As soon as he said his piece, Murcus went underwater again.
Professor McGonagall's hands balled into fists. She took a deep breath and replied, as patiently as she could, "Chieftainess Murcus, with all the respect and gratitude I have for you, which as you know is plenty, allow me to ask you this. Where on Earth will you go when the fight breaks? Or should I say, where on water? Hogwarts will not be safe. The Black Lake will be open for plunderers and trophy hunters. How do you propose to get your numerous people to the ocean without any help?"
The mermaid went up, "If you think that threats of leaving us in there to die will convince us to help you, Headmistress, you have another thing coming!" She went underwater in a flurry of bubbles.
"I am not threatening anybody. I consider you all under my protection as Head of the School. However, I considered all the elves there under my protection as well, and you know full well what Dumbledore did. I am asking those questions sincerely. If you don't want to join us, what will you do? Wait until those terrorists make your lake boil with you and your whole community in it? You helped us dispose of all the elven ashes from the massacre in your lake. They will stop at nothing. Don't think for a second that Albus Dumbledore will not sell you to the highest bidder just because you taught him Mermish. He is not that boy you remember. I think he never was," Minerva said all this in a careful tone with a bit of exasperation.
"My people and I have no desire to help humans. That is my last word. Have your guards bring us back to the Black Lake," Murcus said angrily. He added "Your Majesty," as if those were the foulest words in the English language.
"Oh no, you won't. You will not leave until the meeting is over, Murcus!" Lily Potter said, and to everyone's surprise, she began speaking in rapid-fire Mermish. In her very basic knowledge of the language, Minerva's ears picked up the words child, war, blood, fight, tried, include, your people, equality, and promise.
"Argh! Fine! I want to be taken home immediately as soon as it's over, Lily Potter," the merman conceded, going back underwater with his back to everyone. The mermaid next to him copied his stance.
Lily's eyes rolled so hard that everyone present could almost hear them. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. James' arm went around her slender waist, and he squeezed.
"That is not the appropriate attitude. We need to stop petulant demands and childish behaviors," James Potter said with an angry glint. "The future of magic-kind, and perhaps of all kinds on Earth, depends on us working together for a common goal that should be easily agreed upon."
"And that would be?" Neesy asked in Dryadalis's stead.
Silence followed this question for a while.
"I saw this in the stars," Firenze whispered, making everyone turn to face him. "My dear Lily, I was hoping I had misread the message, but alas, I did not. If the Centaurs don't stand with you, you will lose all the wilderness in Scotland and Ireland within months," he said with a sad tone. "Even with our help… Blood will be shed."
Lily looked at her friend with gratitude and respect. "Thank you, Firenze. I felt in my heart that the Centaurs would not abandon us in our time of need," she chuckled. "If only for your karma and your chakras to stay aligned where they should."
Firenze chuckled back at their inside joke and nodded.
"Excuse me, everyone, but this wheelchair is not the most comfortable," Emma said with a grimace, trying to change her position. "Let's present our case and go home to start preparing the next steps."
"Lady Dagworth Granger, allow me," Queen Gankra turned the chair into a hospital bed with the softest blankets and pillows. "What you have endured would be a nightmare for our bravest warriors. You honor us as an ally with your strength and your grace."
"Thank you, this is much better," Emma smiled. The pressure on her mostly healed incision when sitting down was very uncomfortable.
"We have created a coalition within the Wizengamot. With our allies, we have a high chance to pass Lily's legislation. If the merpeople had collaborated with her when she asked, repeatedly," James said with a frown. "They would have been included within it. We don't do exclusion, Merchieftainess."
The only response they got was a significant amount of huffed bubbles. It was James' turn to roll his eyes and huff.
"With Lord Potter as the Head of our Alliance, we have been able to recruit enough allies to almost guarantee we can pass any laws in the Wizengamot," Lily took over before her husband blew up.
"What we propose, Murcus, Dryadalis, Firenze, is that you join us in the Wizengamot to exert pressure on the members to vote this law as soon as possible," Professor McGonagall continued.
"What about werewolves… or whatever you are?" Firenze asked, looking apprehensively at Sirius and Remus. They had some characteristics of werewolves, but they were different somehow.
"We are not part of the discussion. Werewolves live alone for the most part. We form our own packs and have no general leader. Additionally, we are convinced that if werewolves are part of the law, the rest of the Wizengamot will lobby hard against us."
"So you are going to let them step over you?" Neesy communicated for Dryadalis.
"Dryadalis, do we look like we can be stepped on?" Remus asked calmly with a lifted brow.
The old elf smirked but shook his head.
"We are simply willing to be last priority to advance everyone else's causes," Sirius said with a smile. "Compromise is necessary for progress," he added more for Murcus than anyone else.
The Minister for Magic kept waving his arms and was allowed to speak briefly. "Why do you want new legislation!? We already have a Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures that was created under Minister Grogan Stump, and it has served this nation well for centuries."
"Typical. If something has served wand carriers well, everyone else should be happy and grateful. Don't remind me of Stump. I was a young goblin, but even then, I understood how despicable and ignorant he was. I spat on his grave before his body was even cold," King Nagkrat smirked dangerously at the Minister, who was silenced again.
"Wait a minute… This Stump person was the one that divided magical entities into classes, right?" Emma asked. That name sounded familiar from all the reading she did to prepare for the meeting.
"Yes, we were to be categorized as Beings or Beasts… He eventually added a third category because all the ghosts were revolting," Mr. Lovegood said in his usual slow, airy voice.
Emma grimaced. To be classified as a Beast… what a horrible prospect.
Sirius added with amusement, "The ghosts protested because they clearly were Has-Beens."
Remus chuckled, as did James. Severus frowned at Sirius' poor attempt at humor and further explained, "As some of you may remember from History of Magic, originally, only wizards and witches were considered sapient. Extremists back then wanted even muggles categorized as beasts-"
Daniel gasped. So many centuries of ignorance, for crying out loud!
Snape carried on, "Eventually, all humans and humanoids like goblins, vampires, hags, giants, house-elves, veela, and werewolves -in their human form, of course- were also given the status of Beings."
"Yes, if I recall correctly, merpeople and centaurs were also offered this status. However, both refused because they did not want to be grouped with creatures such as hags and vampires," McGonagall added, side-eyeing the giant fishbowl.
This earned a bunch more indignant bubbles within the fish tank.
"So, every other magical entity is a Beast?" Emma asked with confusion.
"Not quite, Emma," Severus smiled at her. "Other creatures technically fit the qualifications that define a Being such as intelligent speech but are extremely violent and can be lethal. Creatures like Acromantulas, Sphinxes, Manticores, and Erklings, were classified as Beasts."
"Burdock Muldoon, the creator of the two categories, did ignore one group entirely. All those Dementors and the annoying Poltergeists and Boggarts," Ianthe added. "They are neither a Being nor a Beast, so they are technically non-beings or well Non-Human Spiritous Apparitions as they appear in the legislation."
Daniel and Emma shared a look. They needed to ask several questions after the meeting.
"Muldoon was too simplistic," Nagkrat said. "He wanted to define Beings as any member of the magical community that walked on two legs. So, the goblin nation brought everyone who fit that criteria to a summit he organized. We brought Diricawls, Augureys, Fwoopers, Pixies, Fairies, and Trolls. Muldoon said something particularly offensive to some of us, and well… the summit descended into chaos when the Trolls started to destroy the chamber with their clubs and rightfully so."
Lady Longbottom spoke up. "My granddad told me about that. He agreed that it was deserved."
Severus cleared his throat and carried on once more. "Muldoon's successor was Elfrida Clagg. She once again attempted to redefine Beings as those that could speak the human tongues. However, there were still many issues at the following summit. You see, Emma, Daniel, Ted, Trolls were still classed as Beings since they could technically be taught the Human tongue, but Jarveys -they're like magical overgrown ferrets- were in attendance too, and they could not speak our tongue, so they were quite upset."
"Indeed. Then, our people refused to participate since the Merpeople were excluded, as Mermish cannot be understood above water. You'd do well to remember, Murcus, that we have always had your back," Firenze said to the creature that turned around and nodded. That was very true. "And well… Ghosts were not classed as Beings under Muldoon because they glided instead of walked, and they ultimately they just left in disgust because the council insisted on emphasizing matters of the living over matters of the dead."
"In 1811," Minerva continued, "Stump laid down the new definition of a Being along with the definition of a Beast. However, due to the Ghosts' continuous protesting, the classification of Spirit was created."
Murcus came out of the water only to say, "We were Beasts by choice."
"We were Beasts because we chose to honor our friendship with merpeople," Firenze replied with a smile. "We wouldn't have survived the goblin and human wars unless we had been there for each other."
"Too true," Murcus nodded and submerged himself again.
"Chieftainess Murcus, will you please take a look at the law? I did write some notes on your people, but no one can tell the government what your communities need better than your communities," Lily pleaded. "My Mermish is quite rusty, and to be honest… Since your people chose you to represent them, you should hear their counsel on this and make sure that their wishes are stated correctly. We would appreciate an interpreter you trust to dictate the agreements you reach to one of us."
"We will accept Firenze or Tilazu as scribes if they are so inclined," Murcus didn't seem too convinced, but at least he had to give it a shot.
Everyone looked at the Centaurs with a clear request.
"Absolutely, Murcus, Lily," Tilazu spoke at last with a serene smile.
"Wonderful. You will need your section finished in four days to make copies of the law's final version. I realize it's little time, but I trust that you are quite efficient when you want to be," Nagkrat smirked.
Murcus's eyes widened, and he turned a deeper blueish gray. "I trust you know to keep your mouth shut if you don't want your… dirty laundry up in the air," the Chieftainess growled.
"If you don't air mine, I don't air yours," Nagkrat smirked even more with a deathly glint in his eyes.
Murcus narrowed his eyes. Everyone else looked at both leaders questioningly, but neither said another word.
"Okay, since you are… confidantes and everything," Augusta said sarcastically. "We will reconvene in four days with the final version to read it and approve it. Agreed?"
"Ad consensum," everyone replied. [Agreed]
"Lady Dagworth-Granger," Queen Gankra called Emma just as her husband was helping her get comfortable back in the wheelchair.
"Yes, your majesty. How can I help you?" the doctor winced as her husband placed a lumbar pillow between her back and the back of the chair.
"No, dear, I want to help you," the queen replied. "Us goblins, we are experienced at dealing with battle wounds. May we give it our best shot?"
"Oh! I'd appreciate that. Thank you so much," Emma smiled brightly. "Neesy has been applying the scarring salve, and there's progress, but it has always shown faster progress, and somehow, this wound is not healing."
"It's a surface solution. You need something deeper. It will sound a bit crazy, but I promise you that the scar will be completely gone," Gankra said with a soft tone. Seeing Emma's injury from Headmistress McGonagall's memories had hurt her heart. Human skin and flesh were too soft and easy to hurt.
"Crazy how?" Daniel asked with a slight frown. "I don't want Emma to endure any more pain. She's been through enough already."
"Daniel, I am fine… We know goblin methods are bloody, but they are effective, and I want to be healed. The scar doesn't bother me that much, but it's just not healing properly."
"The idea is that we numb you, of course. Then we cut off the scarred skin, clean the area, and close it up our way, which allows us to heal it layer by layer. We will give you a medicinal liquid to inject at different depths for a week. I promise if the scar isn't gone completely, it will be a very faint line that you have to look for to find," the queen explained.
"Let's do it."
The next days saw a flurry of activity in all areas. Hagrid was recruited by Headmistress McGonagall -after profuse apologies about his almost freezing to death- to attempt to open a channel of communication with the giants. The Alliance wanted to reach them before the terrorists did. The half-giant was very willing to help, but he felt it would be futile. Giants were hierarchical, and in their terms, the bigger giant, the more powerful. While Hagrid was massive by normal human standards, he was tiny to the giants.
Remus offered to try to talk to some werewolves. Sirius adamantly refused. After all, they weren't exactly werewolves. They were a hybrid, and that would make actual werewolves wary of their intentions. The married couple smelled different, their senses were heightened above natural werewolves, and their significant strength could make them targets for strong alphas wanting to prove themselves. It wasn't a good idea all in all.
Mrs. Granger recovered a bit more with each passing day, with the help of both elven and goblin medicine. Daniel wasn't about to let her do the injections herself, so he took over that. He was very impressed with the goblin's medicine (whatever it was) because, as the queen promised, the wound was healing quickly. There was no reddening, no oozing. It was perfect. The more it was injected, the fainter it got. By the end of the week, the line was almost invisible.
Gabriel quickly became the joy of everyone in The Family. Hermione was gaining Harry's favor little by little, and Daniel was slightly less paranoid. Originally, the Grangers were going to rent a house elsewhere, but the Dugards insisted, and with reason, that the cost of them moving and warding a separate property would be too high. Ianthe was working hard with the goblins and the elves in the wards of the new and improved Potter Manor. That was the first thing they needed. Once the warding ended, they would start building. The elves were ecstatic at helping the Potters rebuild. Dorea had told them they could, of course, revamp their treehouse as well. The elves were determined to strengthen their numbers, and they needed more room which the Potters were happy to provide.
Nymph shot up in bed, drenched in a cold sweat. Her bruises were mostly gone, with the help of her mother's expert touch, but bad memories were crystal clear. She could acutely feel the pain, the stress, the fear, all over again. The metamorphmagus got up and went to the bathroom. A very cold shower was in order. She needed to be alert for the search at Hogwarts later that day.
She had apologized profusely to Emma and Daniel. Andromeda was still not over the fact that he had been willing to die for Emma. It worried the healer that her daughter was so selfless and so brave. However, she knew that if it hadn't been for Tonks' actions, Emma and Gabriel would probably be dead. It was a good thing that Nymph now lived in her own place. Her mother was already fussing around her whenever she saw her, and having that attention 24/7 would definitely make her go berserk.
At Hogwarts, Headmistress McGonagall and Madam Bones created a task force to search every inch of the castle. They needed Parseltongue to go down to the sewage system, but Dorea was busy with the reconstruction, and Harry was to be left out of the whole situation as per The Family's decision. He was still a kid and should not be put in dangerous situations when they could be avoided. As they searched the entire castle, professor McGonagall found all sorts of irregularities. Problems with the infrastructure, dangerous hidden artifacts, creatures that should not be there, etc.
They went into the construction area, and if it hadn't been for Hagrid and his flute, the searching task force would be dead. What the hell was Albus thinking by asking the gamekeeper to bring such a monstrosity inside a school full of nosy children? Any of them could have been torn apart. All the challenges in the course were ridiculous for Minerva. They went through without any hiccups. Severus identified the potioneer who made the potions for the riddle and between him and Narcissa. They brewed the same potion so everyone could go through. Headmistress McGonagall would be making a formal complaint through the DMLE to have Potion Master Slughorn investigated.
As they got to the last space, Minerva was relieved to see that the Mirror of Erised was safe and sound. It was a very valuable magical artifact. Where was the stone, though? They ran diagnostics on the mirror, and each of them tried standing in front of it to see what they could get. Minerva saw her beloved husband alive, holding her. Severus saw his life as it was, except that his wife had become a Potion Master and was pregnant in the mirror. Narcissa saw her family with two additions, a girl in Severus' arms and another boy in hers. Tonks hesitated before standing there. When she did, she saw herself as a graduate from the Auror Academy. There was a smoky figure next to her. She couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, but whoever it was, it held her hand, and she felt loved and protected. Tonks was elated that she didn't immediately see her uncle Remus doing unspeakable things to her. The other Auror tried and saw himself marrying his girlfriend. No signs of the stone, though.
Father Martin was in awe at Hogwarts. Minerva had decided to bring him in to look at the mirror. Another opinion wouldn't hurt anyone. He was having a hard time containing his excitement at seeing the castle, the ghosts, the classrooms, the creatures! What a marvelous place. He stood before the mirror as Headmistress McGonagall explained what it did.
In the mirror, he could see his parents holding each other and a tiny baby. Martin assumed it was him, but as he was about to tell the headmistress, a glowing Ianthe Greengrass took the baby while her daughters beamed at the boy and at him. The priest paled and held on to the rosary beads in his hand. This couldn't be his deepest desire. It was impossible. How could he look at Ianthe now? Maybe the mirror was wrong.
"So?" Minerva asked, placing her hand on the man's shoulder. "Any signs of the stone?"
"No…" he replied. Martin was entranced by mirror-Ianthe as she pulled mirror-Martin down for a passionate kiss. His eyes widened, and he stumbled back a couple of steps. "No, no, no, no…"
"Is everything alright? What did you see?"
"I…I can't. This is too much. Are you sure that's what the mirror shows us? Our absolute deepest desire?" Martin asked, beginning to panic.
"Yes. Erised is Desire spelled backward. Martin… you look positively sick. Can I get you anything? Can you tell me what you saw?" Minerva was concerned. The man had seemed quite pleased until his face changed to shock.
"I saw my parents."
"Oh?"
"They were holding a baby," he added.
"Was the baby you?" McGonagall asked as gently as she could.
"No. I… I thought it was me… but then… Oh my God! Minerva, please, promise me you will not say this to anyone… EVER," Martin looked at her with a tortured expression.
"You do not have to tell me if it hurts you, Martin…."
"I must. I need someone to hold me accountable and pull my reigns back in if I lose perspective," the man countered.
Minerva took a deep breath. The man could be her son. She took one of his hands and transfigured a chair into a sofa. "I promise to keep your confidences, and I will try to give you perspective."
"Thank you… I hope you don't lose respect for me when I tell you this…" Martin looked down in shame. How could he face the Pope, now?
"Never. You are one of the best men I have ever had the pleasure of meeting," she replied with a confident smile.
"I was looking at the baby… Then she appeared and took it in her arms and… the girls were beaming at him, and she was beaming at me… and she kissed me," Martin said all this as if every word was terribly painful to utter.
"I don't understand…" McGonagall looked at his pained expression for a while, and her brain began firing up. She kissed me. Minerva gasped. The only person that they both knew who could be in that mirror was… Lady Greengrass. "Oh! I see."
"I can't even believe… I never intended… She will hate me!" Martin said with exasperation as he punched his own thighs.
"None of that. I believe you are quite close. This shouldn't be a problem. Just tell her how you feel and-"
Martin colored immediately and whisper shouted, "For the love of God, Minerva! I am a priest! I cannot have any kind of relationship that is not a platonic one with any woman!"
The headmistress' mouth formed into a perfect 'o' shape. She had forgotten about that. "Right. I am sorry. I forgot. Then what will you do?"
"Leave. Immediately."
"Martin, pardon me, but… your feelings will follow you wherever you go," McGonagall reasoned.
"Yes, but they need not make a mess of anyone else's life. Ianthe doesn't deserve that, and neither do her incredible daughters," Martin sighed. His stomach felt heavy. "They've been through enough."
Minerva was quiet for a long time. "This is exactly why I have such a high opinion of you. I understand the struggle you are going through, to a degree, and I hope you can have some solace in doing the right thing. Doing so is never easy. You are a man of faith and principle. I respect that. I am not a good person to come to for advice regarding matters of the heart, but if you ever need to talk or write, I would be delighted to tell you what little I know that may help you," Minerva squeezed the man's hand.
"Thank you. You have been so kind to me, so patient. I appreciate everything you did to bring me here today regardless of the outcome," Martin kissed the headmistress's forehead as he would his aunt or his mother. "I should get going. I will need to baptize Gabriel sooner than expected."
Nagkrat was wearing down the floors of his office. The amount of pacing he had done since the meeting was considerable. What if the merpeople didn't come through? They would have to proceed without them. The clock kept ticking. The merpeople had a couple more minutes until the deadline.
"Your Majesty," a guard appeared and bowed, greeting him in their native language.
"What is it?"
"They reached a consensus! Here is the final document as transcribed into English by Firenze and Tilazu!" the goblin handed him the document with great care.
Nagkrat's jaw was hanging. He couldn't believe what was happening. They were in. The merpeople were in! Tomorrow morning they would present the bill to the Wizengamot. The goblin's hands shook as he took the document and read it with great care. It was all doable. Lily Potter's work was finally finished.
"Open my fireplace. I have to spread the good news."
"Do you need our assistance?" the guard asked, immediately concerned for his boss' safety.
"Just two of you. I am going to our allies'home. More guards would make it look like I don't trust them."
Emma and Lily's squeals of joy and laughter brought everyone running to the Dugard's study.
"C'est confirmé?" Matthieu asked when he saw the joy on their faces.
"Oui, c'est confirmé!" Narcissa replied as they hugged each other.
"What is it? What's going on?" Lord Potter came in, pulling his wife into the room after him.
"They came through! The merpeople came through! We are going to war with the Wizengamot starting tomorrow!" Lily exclaimed. Her portrait seemed to be glistening with sparks.
"Thank Merlin!" Charlus twirled his wife. "Nagkrat, my friend, I hope you have a bit more hope for the future now," the man added.
The King was wiping some tears away. "I never thought I would see the day when a real chance at equality between wizards, witches, and magical creatures was an actual possibility." He approached the portrait and touched his rough hand to Lily's delicate, manicured, painted one. "Lily Potter, the Goblin Nation is forever in your debt. As you have passed, we will be forever in your son's debt. Words seem insufficient, but we thank you for your service in favor of all magical communities. This law will change the world as we know it."
"Your Majesty, I am so glad to have been of service. Had my life been longer, I would have loved having your support to cause even more havoc amongst the blood purists and the human supremacists, but I am glad that at least this bill which has my heart in it, will be passed, Merlin and Morgana willing," Lily smiled fondly at the old goblin. Their joined hands enveloped by multicolored sparks. "I thank you in advance for what you will do for my son."
The King walked over to Harry and pulled him up. The teen had been talking excitedly with Hermione about the law. Something told him this would be a defining moment in his life so he stood straight and bowed to the king. He was still surprised to feel the king's hands on each of his own. "Harry James Potter, you are our son now. We, the goblin nation, pledge to help your family in their quest to vanquish Voldemort, Grindelwald, and Dumbledore. Our knowledge is your knowledge, our resources are your resources, our fighters are your fighters, our medicine is your medicine. You can count on our nation around the world to come to your aid in your time of need, no questions asked. To our nation, you and your family are one of us now." Ropes of iridescent light wrapped around their joined hands. Harry immediately felt stronger.
Minerva and Augusta, who had been called in to hear the news, held on to each other. The last time someone had been called a son to the goblin nation was… never. It had never happened. The consequences could be very powerful in times of war. They would go to the Wizengamot with their head held particularly high. The Alliance had much to be proud of. Everyone waited with bated breath for Harry's response, hoping he would not offend the king or -Heaven forbid!- refuse him.
The king was about to let go, but Harry held on, "Your Majesty, my family and I thank you for this great honor. We offer our knowledge, resources, fighters, and medicine to your nation as well. If the goblin nation ever needs our assistance, we will be there for you, no questions asked. You are family now too."
Magic from the bond sent a rope towards Hermione, pulling her to stand next to Harry. Luckily she knew what to say now. "Our magic is our bond. We will never knowingly hurt goblin interests as their interests are our own. As we have said it, so mote it be. May magic judge us."
The iridescent ropes of magical energy wrapped around the teens and the goblin and turned a beautiful light green. Magic accepted their oaths. Every wizard and witch sighed in relief at this. Had the ropes gone red, both Harry and Hermione could die. Nagkrat wiped tears away from his cheeks once more. He could feel the pure intentions and the resoluteness of the teens despite their age. Their desire to help was sincere. Harry expressing an equal offering to that of the goblin nation had shocked Nagkrat in the best way. Change was coming. The goblin embraced the children tightly.
"You are what magical society has needed for eons. Thank you."
A/N: Thank you for reading! Join me next Chapter where we will see what Ianthe does with Mr. Weasley, whatever happened to our two favorite miscreants, and the kids will go back to school. I appreciate your patience. I wish I could dedicate more hours to this, but this doesn't pay the bills, unfortunately. Thank you for the kind comments and follows not only to this story but to part 1. I hope you are safe and healthy wherever you are. -Lux-